Unlocked: Daily Devotions for Teens

Have you ever messed up and then felt like you needed to somehow hide from God? Adam and Eve felt that way in the Garden of Eden. They did something wrong, and they thought they could make things better by hiding from God. . Not only does God see you even when you are trying to hide, but He loves you even after you’ve committed a sin and done something you know you shouldn’t have done. He already...

Have you ever reached boiling point? You’ve been trying so hard to do the right thing, and in a weak moment, you sin. Your temper bubbles over, scalding hot. Your good intentions vanish, and you lose it, only later to be overwhelmed with guilt and failure. All is not lost. . I’ve had those days when I’ve blurted out angry words. I’ve allowed harmful thoughts to fester rather than asking God to dea...

It can be hard to sit back and be still. Some people will call us lazy if we do this. Some will say we need to get going and take action. There are times when we need to be still, though. There are times when we need to wait for God’s leading and direction. There are times when we need to hold back while God takes care of our battles for us. . In this broken world, we are pushed to rush through li...

In Luke 15, Jesus told a story of a prodigal son who asked for his own portion of the inheritance from his father instead of waiting for him to die, and the father granted it to him. Years later the son came back with nothing. Surprisingly, his father welcomed him back into the household with open arms! . This parable shows us the extent of God’s unfailing love toward us, that at any point in time...

Faithfulness is a fruit of the Spirit, and it’s vital for every Christian, in every walk of life (Galatians 5:22). When we are faithful, we are rooted in motivations and desires that are in line with the Bible, and our feet are steady upon the solidness of God. But faithfulness is something I struggle with a lot. I find it hard to do what I need to do, because the desires of my sinful nature are a...

Ever struggled to focus on reading the Bible? You’re not alone! Today, I want to talk about one of my favorite ways to read and focus on God’s Word. It’s called “lectio divina,” which is Latin for divine reading. . This practice was used by Christians long before it was common for individuals to be able to read or have a Bible of their own. Lectio divina is a four-step process that allows us to ch...

The book of Philippians is a letter written by Paul and Timothy to the Christians in Philippi. There are many uplifting verses and passages in this letter, and many Christians choose one of the verses in Philippians as a favorite. The reason Philippians 1:6 is my favorite verse (not only in this book but in the whole Bible) is because it assures me that God is able to sanctify me and He is faithfu...

The following is a fictional story inspired by 2 Samuel 12:1-15 (when David was confronted by the prophet Nathan about his sin and what he did to Bathsheba and Uriah) and it also takes ideas from Psalm 139, which was written by David. . I reach the abandoned well and climb down as fast as I can, checking over my shoulder to make sure no one followed me. All around me is an empty field. I’m finally...

READ: JOHN 17:3; 2 PETER 3:18 Editor’s note: Today’s reading discusses abuse. Daniel. Esther. Peter. Paul. As a teenager, I knew them all. If there was a Bible trivia show, I could have been a champion. I went to church and knew Bible stories like the back of my hand. I knew about God, but I did not know Him. How about you? Do you know about God? Or do you know God? What’s the difference? While I...

I decided to search the island for a spring to quench my thirst. As I passed under vibrant green vines, there before me was a tiny pool of crystal clear-water surrounded by periwinkle blossoms. Cupping my hands in the water and lifting it to my lips, I drank and was refreshed. . Suddenly, the surface of the water rippled, though no wind blew this far inland. I gazed intently as a picture formed in...

I rose from my bed, thoughts swirling like tornado winds. “Does anyone really know me? What is the purpose of my life?” Resolution filled my veins like urgent flames. Today I would search and seek until I found the answers I needed. . As I packed a sack of food for my journey, I had the sensation that Someone was watching me. This was nothing new, for I had felt this watchfulness my whole life, pu...

Jesus is often called the Messiah, but what does that name mean? And why is this name an important title for Jesus? . “Messiah” means Anointed One in Hebrew. It was later translated as “Christ” in Greek. So, when people call themselves Christians, they are calling themselves followers of Christ, the Anointed One. . Anointing was a sign of kingship and honor in the Old Testament. For example, the p...

One day, I was paging through my Bible and stopped on the book of Habakkuk. I had never read this book in the minor prophets before, and I found it fascinating. Habakkuk was a prophet in Judah who loved God. He would pray often, and one day he was crying out to God about the evilness of the people of Israel. Habakkuk knew that God was a holy God, hating evil, but the people had turned their backs...

I started noticing the word “unrighteousness” in the Bible. I thought, why not use a stronger word like wickedness or depravity? Why just put an un in front of righteousness? But I’m not an ancient language scholar, and I assume Bible translation teams know what they’re doing. So, I let the question remain in my mind, holding it loosely to see if God might answer. . And soon after, I noticed somet...

My heart throbs with each bound I take, my breath growing heavy. “Run, run, run,” a voice whispers, and I struggle to obey. When I’d found that I had once again veered from the path called straight and narrow, I knew I couldn’t go back. Trying to leap over a rotting log, I feel my foot catch in the crevice. Pain shoots up to my ankle as I tumble to the ground. I whimper and bite my lip. The pain i...

Things change here on earth so quickly. Your parents get divorced and suddenly you’re living in two homes. Your grandparent moves into an assisted living community and no longer has the yard that they used to have. Your sibling graduates from high school and joins the military. You gain and lose people in your life as you grow up. You have new opportunities and spend time in new places. You never...

I am lost The world shatters I am alone Nothing matters I am done Reality has broken into a million pieces And I am lost in the chaos I am finished; the nightmare’s begun Beaten and bruised; scarred and in pain I stumble through the dark I scream Death is at my door A knock at the window Another Visitor Life The Light hovers outside I invite Him into my heart Death is gone The nightmare has ended...

Throughout history, people have asked the question, Who is Jesus? Some consider Him to be a good man, a prophet, a teacher. Others believe that He is in fact God, but consider Him to be distant, unknowable, unapproachable. Have you ever stopped to ask yourself the question, Who is Jesus Christ to me? . I believe Jesus is the Son of God, my Savior and King, but He’s also my closest friend. The only...

One of Jesus’s names is the Lion of Judah. But what does this name mean? We have to go way back to the beginning of the Bible for this question, to the book of Genesis. The ancestors of the Israelites’ tribes were the sons of Jacobwho was later called Israel (Genesis 32:24-30). Among these brothers, Judah was elevated to be the brother who would be an ancestor of Jesus, even though Judah wasn’t th...

When we are falsely accused, it’s natural to try to defend ourselves to prove our innocence. I used to try to defend myself by tarnishing the image of my accusers. But now at age sixty, I have learned to explain myself in a proper way, and to let God be my defender. . I came to see this truth when someone I had helped made false accusations against me, causing a misunderstanding between me and a f...

The Revana people, including Layla, had been flying at near-lightspeed for close to three years to settle on the new planet they were missioned with terraforming. It was going to be their new home. . Alerts started popping up all over Layla’s screen. As chief navigator it was her job to make sure everyone stayed on course to the planet. Layla scanned her screens and her face started to burn red. M...

I like to take walks with my dog almost every day. One evening, I passed a house that had so many flowers of all different colors, and it just made me so happy! A woman was outside watering them, so I told her I loved all her beautiful flowers. She responded with a big smile, Flowers are the best thing ever! . As I continued walking, I thought about that. While flowers are definitely one of my fav...

“She does WHAT?” As we walked out of class, a friend told me something surprising. A boy at our school, who I’ll call Henry, had persuaded his girlfriend, Vanessa, to do his homework for him. When another student asked Henry about this, he admitted that every school night Vanessa completed not only her own homework but Henry’s too. . I felt indignant on Vanessa’s behalf. Why should she carry this...

Have you ever felt deeply satisfied after enjoying a meal that you love? Have you found yourself eating slowly while savoring your favorite food, thinking about each bite and fully tasting it? . In Psalm 63, David talks about how God satisfies us even more than good food does. David writes, I have beheld your power and your glory. Because your love is better than life, my lips will glorify you I w...

When my friend invited me to her twelfth birthday party, I couldn’t contain my excitement! I anticipated the fun we’d haveplaying games, eating cake, and swimming in her backyard pool. There was just one problem. My Campfire group planned to see a movie that same day, and I wanted to go. I couldn’t do both, so I had to choose. But how? . Decisions can be hard. It feels like the older we get, the m...